More Than 1,500 US Capitol Riot Defendants Pardoned by Trump (3)

Donald Trump pardoned almost all of the people convicted for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and ordered charges dropped in any pending cases, fulfilling a controversial campaign promise just hours after he returned to the White House.

Trump announced the mass clemency for more than 1,500 people to reporters on Monday evening and the official proclamation was released soon after. The pardons covered convictions that ranged from misdemeanor trespassing to assaulting police with weapons and immediately became a political lightning rod.

At the White House on Tuesday, Trump swatted away questions about freeing individuals ...